Reenforcement for concrete and the like



NOV- 3 C. W. WATSON REENFORCEMENT FOR CONCRETE AND THE LIKE Filed June 20, 1923 'charzea a: waon,

Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES CHARLES WILLIAM WATSON, OF ST. KILDA, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

REENFORCEIYIENT FOR CONCRETE AND THE LIKE.

Application filed June 20, 1923.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, CHARLES VVILLIAM IVATsoN, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 1 York Street, St. Kilda, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reenf-orcements for Concrete and the like; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

My invention relates to reenforcements such as bars or their equivalent, in appropriate lengths and dimensions to suit circumstances, or the class of work in which they are to be employed, and which are suitable for reenforcing various concrete structures including centrifugally produced ar ticles.

()neobject of my invention is to facilitate the positioning, when required, of wire reenforcement relatively to my bars and also relatively to the concrete in which both the wire and the bars will be embedded.

In the centrifugal manufacture ofreen forced concrete structures difficulty and loss have been experienced owing to the reenforcement becoming displaced or deformed during the centrifugal action. The agglomerate covering the reenforcement has been thicker at some parts than at others and there has been longitudinal spreading or alteration of pitch of the reenforcement helices or convolutions, as well as diametral variations. Structures, (pipes for instance) so made have been found wanting in durability, unsuitable for resistance to high internal pressure, and generally unreliable.

In the manufacture of helically reenforced hollow structures the distribution of the reenforcement and the pitch of the helics should be uniform, while the winding should he concentric with the external and internal peripheries of the agglomerate structure, and should not be liable to either displacement or deformation.

A suitable tension of reenforcement should be retained throughout, so as to produce structures of uniform strength.

My invention is one of several I have made intended to overcome defects such as' have been referred to, and relating to the manufacture of structures of plastic ma- Serial No. 646,725.

terial, such as cementagglomerate, particu larly those with embedded reenforcement, but also applicable to the manufacture of non-reenforced structures. This invention includes improvements in and relatingto the manufacturing of reenforcement retainers. To obtain such improved'results, or' sub stantially such lies within the ambit of my inventioirwliich enables structures of great strength to be made having the ten= sioned' reenforcement arranged to contact with keepers, bars, or retainers, both res enforcement and keepers or bars retaining a predetermined position, or substantially so, during and after the period of centrifugal consolidation.

Other objects of the invention will be come apparent as the specification is perused.

In the specification of a concurrent'ap- PIIOELtIOD'fOI a United States patent I have described and claimed an inventionentitl'ed Method of and machine for spacing, tens oning, and coiling materialsuch as wire and in the specification of another concurrent application for. a Unittd States patent I have described and claimed an invention entitledImprovements relating to the manufacture of articles 'cent'rifugally. In the drawings herewith embodiments of the invention are illustrated, but I may modify various details while keeping within the scope of what I claim. 7 f In the accompanying drawings my retainers are illustrated in forms applicable to the manufacture of pipes by ay of 'eX- ample. v I The invention however is not limited thereto; Like reference characters 'desig nate corresponding parts in theseviews. The Figures are as foll0ws: f "Figures 1, '1 and 1 represent a broken side view ofa retainer bar, illustrating different types, an end of the form; shown in Fig. lfflbeing cut so as to be shown in' crosssection; e A

Figures 2 to 8 Cross sections of different types ofretainers.

Figure 9Longitudinal section of a retainer mould, illustrating also one type. of product. I Figure 10Longitudinal section of a retainer mould illustrating also ano thervty-pe of product.

Figure 11-Cross section of Figure 10, the left hand portion on line LL; and the right hand portion on line N-N.

Figure 12-Plan of a mould showing the retainer of Figure 5 in position.

Figure 13-Side view of a strickle plate.

A series of my bars or retainers can be so arranged as tokeep and retain in predetermined position a contacting reenforcement, whether said retainers superpose, or be superposed by, the reenforcement. Retainers or bars may be composite, ith or without a ferruginous element, or they may consist of only one material,

For convenience they will hereinafter be referred to as retainers.

Figures 1 to 8 illustrate various composite retainers formed as bars, to none of which, or to any particular materialor ma terials, is the invention confined. The dimensions of a retainer or its elements can be varied, according to the position a re enforcement is to occupy in the article it is to be part of.

Some of my retainers include a basic member a of suitable material, for instance metal of any suitable form, and cross section, and a secondary member or members, I), of cementitious or agglomerate material of any suitable form and cross section, combined or associated therewith, these elements a and b clinging to each other by molecular adhesion, with or without the assistance of mechanical means, the cementitious material not merely protecting the coated area of the basic element a, when the latter is metallic, against corrosion, but also acting on the member a in a positioning capacity, not only positioning the said basic element, but, through the latter, curvilinearly disposed reenforcement wire G or the like to be added. That reenforcement will there' after occupy the required position in a structure, the retainers supplementing the reenforcement.

In many instances the structure must withstand considerable stresses apart from those arising from internal pressure; and hitherto special supports or heavier structures have been used than would otherwise be necessary. The retainers which I provide can impart such strength as to enable relatively long structures to become wholly or largely self-supporting on girder principles.

In a tubular structure having helical reenforcement my retainers are preferably longitudinal bars, straight, curved, or otherwise shaped to meet requirements. Each end of the structure is of any desired contour, with for example, a fiat or grooved end surface; or one end may take the form of a spigot, and the other that of a faucet.

In otherstructures which I make, the retainer members vary in shape, some variations being illustrated, to suit different requirements.

The basic member is designed and proportioned according to the nature and use of the intended reenforced structure; thus when used in a pile its proportions are suitably heavy to withstand blows. It may, as illustrated, have legs or parts extending sideways and curved or straight to key the agglomerate, b. The keying parts extend the whole length of the basic member or. are at any portions thereof desired.

The retainer members in some cases are perforated, grooved, lugged, roughened or otherwise provided with means designed to act as looks or keys, cooperating with each other, or with the agglomerate employed in the general fabrication of a structure of which they would eventually form a part. In some composite retainers, as shown in Figures 1 to S, I embed one or more parts of the basic member in or adhere one or more surfaces thereof to, the 'agglomerate, allowing exposure clear of the agglomerate of a selected surface or surfaces of the basic member to any desired extent longitudinally or otherwise. Thus in Figure 8 the exposed surface is flush with the outer surface of the agglomerate.

A plurality of basic members may be included in a retainer.

The surface of the retainer comprises in some cases agglomerate distance pieces 0, adapted to be located on a core or mould, or contact therewith, as hereinafter made clear. In many cases retainer surfaces marked d each to contact with either a core or a mould face, should conform to the configuration of the said face, or sufliciently so for assembly and seating purposes. In some cases of retainers which consist of at least a basic member and agglomerate, a large area of the basic member (apart from the area or areas occupied by the agglomerate) will contact with and adhere to the agglomerate which will be added to form the structure.

But in some structures it is not desirable, necessary, or convenient to employ a retainer having part of its basic member uncovered by the secondary element; I then use retainers having the basic member completely embedded in the secondary member, see Figure 7 for example. The retainers are contoured to oppose tendencies to displacements of parts in the structure to be made containing the retainers, and to this end are provided with suitable locking surfaces according to the movement to be opposed.

In Figure 8 the retainer having a base surface 05 has locking surfaces e--f, and opposite to these has surfaces g, h; the surfaces c7 resist movement in directions other than those resisted by surfaces. gh; and surface (Z will co-act with the exterior surface of,

for example, a core; and be suitable generally for seating purposes, preferably conforming with the curvature of the core or. contacting member. c.

Still other forms of retainer than those illustrated are practicable, whereby the retainers will not be displacedby centripetal, centrifugal, or longitudinal stresses to which they may be subjected in forming structures containing them. I

The retainer edge is with which reenforcement will contact, is variously illustrated as fiat, bulbous, mushroomed, and curved, in cross section. The said edge may be recessed, notched, or serrated, where desired, as at m, Fig. 1 and 11 Fig. 1; and these recesses assist to grip reenforcement G in position, and prevent the convolutions of the latter, when it is of wire for example, creeping; or spreading and thus altering the pitch. Similarly, agglomerate surfaces of retainers are, at will, provided with notches, grooves or the like.

Firm and desirable surfaces are thus provided for the contact of the reenforcement, such as wire, or equivalent strengthening material.

I cut away in some cases the ends of member a (see Figure 1), to form a recess 6 to hold temporarily spacing and/or holding rings in forming structures.

I also provide in any retainer, at one or each end in some cases a hole y. These holes are in member a, or as in Figures 5, 7, and 8,-in which they pierce the secondary element 6. Through these holes a reenforcement wire end can be passed, and be secured, by twisting or knotting for example. One or more lines or series of these holes may be located along the retainers, to allow of passing reenforcement through them, and of a plurality of reenforcement wires being used in a structure. The secondary element will form'a distance piece positioning, or assisting to position, the reenforcement in a structure.

Distance elements, as blocks 0, Figure 1, have if desired locking surfaces 0, and intervening gaps p; but when desired a seat-. ing extends along the whole length of the basic member as illustrated in Figure 1 Retainers may be formed in short pieces, and be inserted or distributed as required conveniently during the winding of a reenfor-cement.

To form a composite retainer I use means to hold its basic member, and apply agglomerate thereto. Retainers illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 can be made in a well known type of mould, consisting of a pair of half moulds held together as by wedges or dowels, the basic member being suitably positioned in the mould, the agglomerate being fed through a port or ports.

Moulding of a secondary member or members on or around a basic member can be effected in moulds of different designs, that illustrated being suitable for many types of retainers having distance pieceblocks.

The mould E, for the retainer shown in Figure 5, consists of a lower portion 9 secured as by bolts .5 to aseries of superposed parts 1', the number of parts 1* varying according to .the number of distance pieces 0 to .be moulded, each end of each part a" being gapped as at t, so that, on assemblage, adjoining gaps form openings through which agglomerate is supplied, the latter being rammed, or if desired consolidated in a machine, having drainage apertures if necessary, and it may have a cylinder to contain any convenient number of moulds,

to be subjected to'centrifugaltforce to procluce the said consolidation, after. which the retainers will be removed, dried, and seasoned.

The mould may be constructed so as to produce at will any required gaps in the agglomerate, to constitute locks, and receive agglomerate of the. intended structure. From the upper :parts 1" spacing blocks 42 depend, which mould retainer surfaces 0, e or The sides of the mould lower portion 9, are recessed as at w in Figure 12 to receive moulding bars a: which pass through holes y, see Figures 9 and 10. Bars-m are withdrawn subsequently when the retainer is taken from the mould thus leaving a passage through which wire reenforcement can be passed, for retainer locating or other 1 purposesi In Figure 13 a strickle .(or moulding plate) is shown, adapted to form an agglomerate surface to correspond with the surface of a core, or the interior of an outer mould as the case may be. This plate consists of a bar 62 adapted to slide along or over the upper parts 1", and this bar carries a plate 12 the edge 0 of which is shaped as required, for example curved. Guide plates (1 at each end of the bar depend over the edges of the parts 1. When this strickle plate is drawn over agglomerate at openings t, the surplus agglomerate becomes scraped off, thus forming the curved surface d of the retainer. On detaching screws 5*, and upper parts 1' the retainer is removable.

In Figure 10 the basic member a is shown of crank ended form thus enabling faucets or the equivalent to be moulded, the lower portion 9 of the mould being constructed to accommodate the basic member and form the required distance pieces.

I claim i 1. A reenforcement retainer for curvilinearly disposed reenforcing means for an agglomerate structure, said retainer comprising a basic metal bar element and a secondary agglomerate element molded thereto, said secondary agglomerate element having one of its radial faces substantially arcuate in cross-section to engage and seat upon. the opposed face of the mold employed in forming the agglomerate structure.

2. A reenforcement retainer for curvilinearly disposed reenforcing means for an agglomerate structure, said retainer comprising a basic metal element and a secondary agglomerate element molded thereto, said secondary agglomerate element having its radially inner face concave in cross section to engage and seat on the core of the mold employed in forming the agglomerate structure.

3. A reenforcement retainer for curvilinearly disposed reenforcing means: for an agglomerate structure, said retainer comprising a basic metal bar element and secondary agglomerate elements molded thereto, said secondary agglomerate elements having their radially inner faces concave in cross section to engage and seat upon the core of the mold employed in forming the agglomerate structure, said secondary agglomerate elements serving as spacing blocks to space said retainer from the above mentioned core of the mold, and said metal bar having a serrated surface to position said curvilinearly disposed reenforcing means.

4:. A reenforcement retainer for curvilinearly disposed reenforcing means for an agglomerate structure, said retainer comprising a basic metal bar element and secondary agglomer'ate elements molded thereto, the adjacent opposed end faces of said agglomerate elements diverging from each other.

5. A reenforcernent retainer for curvilinearly disposed reenforcing means for an agglomerate structure, said retainer comprising a basic metal bar element and secondary agglomerate elements moldedthereto, the adjacent opposed end faces of said agglomerate elements diverging radially inwardly from each other.

6. A reenforcement retainer for curvilinearly disposed reenforcing means for an agglomerate structure, said retainer comprising a basic metal bar element and secondary agglomerate elements molded thereto, the said. secondary agglomerate elements each having circumferentially extending side faces formed to contact Withthe corresponding opposed faces of the elements of the mold employed in forming the agglomerate structure, said side faces of said secondary agglomerate elements being adapted to cooperate With the above mentioned faces of the elements of the mold to position said retainer circumferentially and radially.

7. A reenforcement retainer for curvilinearly disposed reenforcing means for an agglom'erate structure, said retainer comprising a basic metal bar element and secondary agglomerate elements molded thereto, the said secondary agglomerate elements each having radially inwardly converging side faces adapted to be acted upon by the plastic mass during formation of the agglomerate structure under the influence of centrifugal force to resist any tendency to centripetal movement or displacement of the retainer.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' CHARLES WILLIAM WATSON. 

